Metro police in hot water after teenager killed

A teenager has been shot dead and several other people were seriously injured after metro police allegedly fired live ammunition to disperse a crowd at an illegal drag racing in Duduza on Gauteng's East Rand.

Police have confirmed that a case of murder and attempted murder has been opened against metro police officials. Residents are still counting the spent cartridges and live ammunition lying on the ground. A surgery door stands shattered by a stray bullet all evidence of last night's chaos. Hundreds had gathered for the illegal drag racing when Ekhurhuleni metro police arrived and allegedly ordered them to disperse.

Then as the crowd started dispersing, a car arrived on the scene and started revving. Metro police were arresting the driver when the crowd allegedly started throwing stones and other missiles at the officials. The metro cops allegedly fired live ammunition to quell the crowd. Sipho Twala (17) was fatally wounded. Police and the Independent Complaints Directorate are investigating the incident.

The police used excessive force: Nkosi
The family of a teenager is demanding justice after Twala was shot and killed yesterday. Themba Nkosi, the family spokesperson, says minutes before the shooting, the metro police had refused to stop the illegal event. He says the police used excessive force.

"I have heard a lot of stories of metro police being a law unto themselves, this goes to show these guys were unruly. We found 22 rounds of used bullets, cartridges of those nine were R5's rifles. If you control the crowds and there are innocent kids and a 17 year old gets killed by an R5 rifles justice needs to be done," says Nkosi.